Drilling Down to the TRUTH

In my NIV Bible, this section is entitled, “Laws of Justice and Mercy.” As I read this, I am thinking of words of Jesus in the Gospels, particularly the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew where Jesus begins his sentence with, “You have heard that it was said… but I say to you…” So I wonder how Jesus would be teaching this part of the Law as he spoke to the crowds. Justice and mercy seem to be at the very center of the heart of God so as I read these verses, I am paying close attention.

“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.” Exodus 23:1-3

No problem. I’m not going to sit on a witness stand and make up false reports about something to get someone else in trouble. But I hear Jesus saying, “But I say to you…” and I think what about leaving out details when I’m telling someone how another person did something that hurt me. I want myself to look good in their eyes and the other person to look bad. I don’t outright lie, but I am not being totally honest. Maybe I’m not as innocent as I want the other to think I am. Maybe I had a role in what happened there as well. It seems to me that God wants the TRUTH. He wants us to be honest with ourselves as well as others. He wants us to admit our own guilt in a situation because in doing that, we are less likely to go back there and do the same thing again.

“If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wondering off, be sure to take it back to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure to help him with it.” Exodus 23:4-5

Really? Can’t I just let the person who has been treating me with contempt suffer under their own ‘stupidity’? “But I say to you… Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:44-45 Even when a person will not listen to my ‘wise counsel,’ Jesus would have me help them out of the mess they got themselves into. God wants us to show MERCY. He has been so very merciful to us and as his sons and daughters, he wants us to be merciful with others. Maybe sometime we will need someone to be merciful with us.

“Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death for I will not acquit the guilty.” Exodus 23:6-7

Again, no problem. I’m kind to the poor and I’m not going to lie about someone in court to have them put to death. But again Jesus says, “But I say unto you…” and I think about participating in gossip that may emotionally ‘put to death’ an innocent person. God says, “I will not acquit the guilty.” Exodus 23:7 Oh my! How easy it is to follow the crowd and ‘fry’ someone who has done upsetting things. It is important to God that even as we work at being truthful, we do it with LOVE. “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15

Sometimes I get to thinking that Jesus ‘changed’ the law. But as I read this portion of Exodus where God is giving Moses the original Law, I am seeing God’s justice and mercy and love very clearly. I just need to look at it through the eyes of Jesus as he interpreted the Scriptures to the crowds who listened to him.

Father, forgive me for the times I have joined the crowd in putting someone else down and for the times I have tried to make myself look good in the eyes of others by leaving out some of the truth. Forgive me also for the times I have gloated over my enemy’s pain. Thank you that you do not give me what I deserve but have shown mercy and grace to me. Now open my eyes to see when I need to show mercy and grace to others. Help me to keep growing up in my spiritual journey with you. I love you, Lord.